It was one of the most heartbreaking losses I’ve ever had,” Kovacevic said. “My final round qualifying match against Trungelliti, I had seven or eight match points. The following day, Kovacevic returned to the gym at Flushing Meadows and crossed paths with Djokovic.
IN THIS MOMENT TOUR PRO
Kovacevic turned pro in 2021 and was eager to make his Grand Slam qualifying debut at that year's US Open, where he made it to the final round before suffering one of the toughest losses of his career. I think people just connect with him, he’s very easy going off the court. We used to have a joke, ‘Everybody loves Kova’. “He’s got a big love for other people and he was a tremendous team guy. He’s got a huge heart, almost to the detriment of him,” Dancer said. Kovacevic at this month's ATP Challenger Tour 175 event in Cagliari. Throughout Kovacevic’s five years at Illinois, Dancer was able to see what he is like on and off the court. He put stress on being your own person and being independent and that was big for me.” “We went skydiving and hiking off trails in Arizona with rattlesnakes around. “Brad had us do things outside our comfort zone and helped us manage being an adult,” Kovacevic said. One of the ways Kovacevic found ‘maturity and growth’ in college was being pushed outside of his comfort zone by Illinois head coach Brad Dancer. Starting out on the pro tour can be kind of ugly, you have to be mature for it.” “What helped me the most in college was maturing a lot, understanding life a little better and using the tools I had there to become ready to grind on Tour. “I think college as a pathway is important because sometimes you feel you aren’t ready for what the pro tour entails,” Kovacevic said. His junior year, Kovacevic became the first Illini player to reach the semi-finals of the NCAA Singles Championships since Kevin Anderson in 2007.Īdrenaline Junkie Kovacevic Making Challenger Tour Rise He enjoyed a standout career at the University of Illinois, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in finance and was a two-time ITA All-American. Kovacevic moved to south Florida as a teen to continue his training and elected to attend college. Little did they know he would someday become a professional. In 2010, Kovacevic hit with McEnroe and Andy Roddick at halftime of a World TeamTennis match in New York.
IN THIS MOMENT TOUR FULL
At age 11, he attended an open tryout for the John McEnroe Tennis Academy and was chosen by McEnroe among a group of 200 students to receive a full scholarship. He grew up on the Upper West Side of New York City, a five-minute walk from the iconic Central Park, where Kovacevic first began to play tennis.Īs a child, Kovacevic trained at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Kovacevic had picked up a racquet for the first time just two years prior, aged five. After the spectacular match, we waited to congratulate him and he remembered seeing us and that’s why he took a picture with Aleks.” Half an hour later, that court was so full and we were few of the people that were cheering for Djokovic and I think that’s why he noticed us. “We went there to watch him and nobody was there. “Djokovic was just coming up from juniors as one of the top players,” Milanka recalled. Alongside Kovacevic was his younger sister Lena, his father Milan, who hails from Serbia, and mother Milanka, who is from Bosnia and Herzegovina.Īfter the match, Djokovic posed for a picture with ‘Aleks’.
Kovacevic was sitting in the bleachers on Court 10 at Flushing Meadows in 2005, when Djokovic, then an 18-year-old just inside the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, survived the humid New York afternoon and Monfils in the first round. Honoured to play, it’s going to be super cool.” I just feel kind of lucky to be able to play Novak on stage like this. Even though I feel like I just started my tennis career, it's something that I think all of the tennis players that are playing now want to do at some point is to play one of those. “To play any of the ‘Big Three’ in any match, nonetheless a Grand Slam, the chances of that are getting smaller and smaller as the years go. He’s the best player to ever play,” Kovacevic told. 114 Kovacevic is set to make his Grand Slam main draw debut at Roland Garros and face the winner of that match, 22-time major champion Djokovic. American Aleksandar Kovacevic had just turned seven when he went to the US Open and watched a five-set, first-round thriller between 18-year-olds Novak Djokovic and Gael Monfils.
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